This topic has also attracted much discussion and is in the limelight and at the forefront of the public arena, sports champions such as Novak Djokovic who still ranks as the world’s number one player, (some even suggest that he could be the greatest player of all time) Djokovic credits his stamina, endurance, strength, energy and the fact that he has excelled in tennis to the elimination of gluten from his diet. Actresses such as Gwyneth Paltrow attributes her healthy youthful appearance to her diet and feels that the primary contributing factor associated with aging gracefully is because she does not eat any gluten. Due to the reported health benefits and suggested feel good factors associated with the removal of gluten from a diet, there is a growing awareness and a trend towards eating gluten free foods.

When it comes to nutrition, health & well being if you opt to cut something out of your diet such as gluten you need to be aware of your choices and understand the different food types that you can include as part of a healthy alternative to gluten. Also familiarise yourself with different producers and manufacturers who make gluten free food – you should get to know who they are, the products that they make and most importantly the specific nutrients in their products and the ingredients that they use.

Many people who avoid gluten to improve their general health and well being and opt for foods without gluten need to ensure that they are not compromising on quality, taste and nutrients. There are many gluten free foods on the market today that compromise on quality ingredients and utilise cheap nasty binders and fillers and never use natural and organic ingredients.

Some manufacturers of gluten free food look to alleviate the higher costs often associated with the ingredients that they can use to substitute gluten by utilising cheap binders and fillers. Many of these manufacturers also want to ensure that their products have a very long shelf life so they add an array of nasty additives and preservatives.

Always remember to check to see what ingredients are in the product, in particular are there are any hidden nasty additives, and preservatives or low cost cheap fillers and low quality ingredients contained within the product? Many gluten free foods that people purchase in a bid to improve their health contain highly refined sugars, starches, trans saturated fats, genetically modified ingredients and often have very little nutritional value these particular food products ought to be categorised as junk food. Just because a product is free of gluten does not mean that it is healthy or that it is a healthier alternative to its gluten containing counterpart:

When you see gluten free products that utilise ingredients such as xanthum gum this ingredient is generally industrially processed and as such products made from these types of ingredients are often deficient in many nutrients generally being low in fibre, vitamins and minerals.

If you opt for a ­­gluten free diet out of choice as opposed to a necessity and you choose to eliminate gluten from your diet due to the proposed health benefits associated with this way of eating then you should opt for food products that are healthy and natural.

Mark from delicious – Guilt Free Goodies™ says that you do not have to compromise on taste, texture, quality or heath benefits when opting for gluten free food, providing that the foods are made with quality natural & organic ingredients.

Take charge of your own health and well being as gluten free food can form part of a healthy diet and lifestyle provided you make the right choices when selecting alternative food options.